Drum Circle
by pinksnowboots
Summary: AU. Shuuhei is part of a counterculture movement which hosts weekly drum circles in protest of...well, in protest of society, really. As a police officer, it is Kensei's job to make them stop. Eventual Shuuhei/Kensei. Rated T for drug mentions.
1. Chapter 1

Short AN: Yes, I will update Sinners soon. I meant to, but then I went downtown and saw a drum circle and read Rincewind 2.0's Growing on Me and this happened. Not much to say except for it's an AU, Kensei is a policeman, Shuuhei is a student and part of a kind of hippy-ish counterculture movement. It is intended to be Shuuhei/Kensei eventually, although when that happens depends on whether or not I get the momentum to continue this.

Anyway. Hope you enjoy and please please please review!

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><p>They first met in a park.<p>

It was two years after Kensei had become a full-fledged police officer. Despite being young, his intense dedication and determination earned him the respect of the entire squad. Unfortunately, that didn't completely negate his lack of seniority and so he was occasionally left with assignments like clearing the druggies from a local park.

It was a recent thing. A counterculture movement had been sweeping the nation, but had only recently reached their relatively quiet and conservative town. Even in a city like that, there were people who refused to bend to social norms and in fact, took joy in flaunting them. They were harmless, really, more of a nuisance than an actual issue. The only illegal thing they did was drugs, and then it was typically just marijuana. However, the mayor of the city didn't see it that way. Elected for his effective economic policies and traditional morals, he viewed even something as innocuous as their weekly drumming circle as an assault on the values of his town, which is why Kensei had been sent to deliver a warning and ideally cause them to disband for the night.

Kensei hated jobs like this. For one, they were typically boring. But mainly he disliked being the bad cop because he sympathized with these people. He had been like them less than a decade ago, rebellious and wild and free _(And selfish, _he reminded himself, _don't forget selfish.). _But that was before, and there was no point dwelling on it when he had a job to do.

He walked to the clearing in the local park with a mixed kind of anticipation. Although he had heard about this group of people and their exploits (mostly in disapproving whispers from middle class women), he had never actually been witness to them. He would never admit it, not to himself and certainly not to the rest of the policemen, but he was curious to see what these people were like.

On first glance, they appeared to just be a mob. A clump of bodies assembled roughly in a circle-sitting, standing, sprawled. But none of them seemed to be still. The drummers were sitting in a smaller circle within the crown, leaving just enough in the middle for several women and one effeminate man to dance. They kept up a simple beat which eschewed any type of melody, preferring to be completely comprised of the varying rhythms of the drummers. Some onlookers clapped, others tapped their feet, and some simply watched. Spread out on the periphery were young people twirling glowing hula hoops and glow sticks on threads, and he thought he saw a burst of flame off on the far side of the group.

For a moment he just sunk into the crowd, watching. The people were dimly lit by the sparsely placed lamps in the park and in the dark it was easier to get the impression of a person than the details. But Kensei had been trained and so he could scrutinize the particulars of appearances even in this hazy atmosphere. And hazy seemed to be the word. The crowd seemed itself to be a blurred mass of energy where the boundaries between people seemed to disintegrate until the individual was lost to the group. Things like gender and sexuality seemed fluid. Really, the gender of a person's body was immaterial, of much less importance than what you could do with that body to create rhythms and movements. The air smelled like smoke from the fire tinged with the vague scent of marijuana.

For a moment, Kensei was overwhelmed by the urge to forget his job, forget the last five years, forget everything and sink into the crowd, relinquishing his identity to the vibration of the drumbeat in his chest and the patterns traced by the dancers' skirts. This was his past and he had loved the feeling of releasing all rational thought and simply letting the sensations wash over his body. But just as he began to lose himself, the starched fabric of his uniform brought him back to reality. He was a police officer, and he was doing a job. Observe these people and their behaviors, and then clear them out.

Observe he could do as long as he kept them at arm's length. Kensei stepped sideways, twisting to get to a less dense part of the crowd, and began to cast his eyes over the people. The word vibrant came to mind as he assessed their varied and often colorful hair, clothes, jewelry and tattoos. One of the dancers had bright red hair bordering on orange, which she shook around to its full volume as she swiveled her voluptuous chest and hips, She dressed in a tight shirt which accentuated her breast and a loose skirt which appeared to be no more than a swath of fabric wrapped loosely around her waist and secured with a knot. Somehow, she managed to look sensual rather than downright erotic as she turned her smoldering gaze onto all the men in the audience. The other female was taller but slimmer, with smaller curves but an extremely fit figure. She had chosen to dress all in black with loose pants and a skintight tank top and she kept her deep purple hair up in a ponytail. Her face was vaguely feline, as was the grace with which she moved around the circle teasing members of the audience. The other dancer was male, but perhaps more beautiful than either of the women. He had opted for tight pants and a form fitting shirt, accentuated by an orange choker around his neck. His sleek black hair was cut cleanly at chin length, drawing attention to his attractively androgynous face, where he sported two feathers sticking up from the corners of his right eye. He flirted with the other dancers playfully and occasionally slid over to drape himself around one of the drummers, a muscular bald man in a white tank top who wore smudges of red around his eyes.

As he watched the male dancer try and fail to distract the bald man from his drumming, Kensei slid his eyes around the circle of drummers. Next to the bald man was a woman whose dark hair was haphazardly tied back by a bandana. Her clothes seemed to be little more than rags in a way that revealed just a little more of the curves of her breasts as she drummed, a manic expression in her eyes. The man on her other side seemed just as insane. He was easily the largest of the group and one of the strangest in appearance. His hair was jet black and stood out from the back of his head in long gravity defying spikes, each of which had a small bell attached to the end. They jingled merrily in time with his constant laughter. He wore an eye patch over one eye and had scars all over his face and chest. Perhaps the strangest thing about his appearance was the tiny girl with bubblegum pink hair who was hanging onto his shoulder and singing in a nonsensical type of babble. Next to the pair were a boy whose hair was so intensely orange that it had to be dyed and a man whose hair was similarly fire engine red. The red haired man had no shirt on, displaying the thick black tribal tattoos which ran unbroken from the bottom of his chest to the tips of his arms and forehead. Occasionally he would let out a yell or a whoop which would be echoed by the other drummers and the crowd.

The next man made Kensei pause in his observations. His face flickered as if illuminated by firelight, the effect caused by the combinations of the nearby lamps and the whirling movements of the dancers. His face was strikingly handsome, although it was marked by three thick parallel scars and a prominent tattoo of the number 69. His dark brown hair appeared to be natural, unlike most of the others, and was slightly styled in messy spikes. His sleeveless black V-neck revealed well-muscled arms and hinted at a fit chest. He was smiling joyfully and laughing along with the other drummers, clearly expressing his pleasure without any restraint. Kensei faltered in his mental cataloguing of the people. His attraction to men was just one of the things he had learned to suppress since joining the force and there was no reason that his composure should be slipping at this moment.

Unfortunately, the redhead caught him staring and nudged the man that Kensei had been admiring, whispering something in his ear while impressively maintaining the beat on his drum. The man nodded and glanced over at Kensei before standing and making his way towards the police officer. He slipped through the crowd with amazing ease and was soon right next to Kensei.

"Is there a problem here, Officer?"

The kid was very well-mannered and ostensibly polite, although Kensei could see the underlying worry and thinly veiled annoyance in his eyes. Probably because the man had stepped very close to Kensei so as to be heard over the noise.

"Officer Kensei Mugarama. Police force, but you can see that." Kensei faltered a bit, unusually flustered by the situation. "Would you mind stepping off to the side so we can hear each other better?"

The man complied, and Kensei was able to regain his composure and his personal space as they moved a few feet away from the crowd, although he was faced with a new challenge as he found himself staring at the 69 tattoo on the man's face.

"Shuuhei Hisagi. Student, but you could probably guess that." He noticed Kensei's concentrated attempt to look anywhere but his tattoo. "Curious about this? It's ok, everyone is. Short story, actually. Of course, it's not one I tell to strangers. So to repeat my earlier question, is there a problem?"

"It appears so. I'm supposed to give you a warning."

The kid's-Shuuhei's-grin twisted in amusement. "For what? Disturbing the peace?"

Kensei was uncomfortable. Most people respected the authority of the police enough to retrain from talking back. Apparently not this kid. "Yes, actually, that is the reason that I was given."

"Even though no one lives within a mile of here?"

"Well…" Kensei paused as he tried to figure out how to handle the situation. Shuuhei chuckled quietly at his obvious discomfort, which annoyed him enough to give him something to day. "Look, kid. I don't know whether you're disturbing anyone or not. But I do know that the mayor has a problem with people like you and I was told to give you a warning and break this little party up. I may not understand it and I may not like it, but it's my job, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd cooperate!"

Shuuhei looked slightly startled for a minute before his grin returned, this time with a somewhat mischievous tint. "Alright, Officer. I'll make you a deal. You stay here and listen for a little while, and I'll send everyone home in half an hour. Deal?"

Kensei grumbled. "Fine."

"But let me trade you one warning for another. Your disapproval means nothing to us and your police warning is not going to make us stop coming. You can keep that or tell it to your boss, but that's how it is."

Shuuhei flashed him another smile, then returned to his drum and resumed playing after a quick word to the redhead. Kensei, as promised, stayed for a little bit (in reality, the entire thirty minutes. Just to make sure the man kept his word though). After thirty minutes, Shuuhei had graciously asked everyone to head home and miraculously, they all had.

Kensei returned to his home with drumbeats in his head.


	2. Chapter 2

First of all, let me apologize for disappearing for so long. The end of the year is always difficult with exams and the like. However, that means I've had plenty of time to mull over my stories in my head and now all I have to do is actually get them written... I'm going to be (hopefully) better about updating during this summer because I'll have more free time and hopefully, my own laptop, both of which should help. But anyway.

This story started out as a random idea and will continue as such. I have the general framework planned out, but I have no clue how the specifics will pan out. So if you're interested, stay tuned for updates.

A couple story notes. This has some brief cursing, but that's about all as for warnings. Oh, and to disclaim something which does not have to do with my lack of ownership of the Bleach franchise-I do not hate Byakuya. I actually adore him, but I have to write him this way for the plot. Feel free to speculate why, but next chapter should do some explaining. So don't hate me for hating on Byakuya, because I love him too.

That's about it. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, please review! Thanks!

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><p>"Officer Mugurama is here to deliver the report on his latest assignment, sir."<p>

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki at once dismissed his secretary and gestured for Kensei to enter his office with one imperious nod of the head. Sparing words, he gracefully turned his head to the junior officer and fixed him with a deliberate gaze, silently instructing him to begin.

"Captain Kuchiki, sir. I inspected the group of people reportedly disturbing the peace and observed them for a reasonable amount of time. I have concluded that, while certainly different, these people are no danger to the peace or to public safety. However, I delivered the warning as instructed."

Byakuya chose not to respond, instead intensifying his gaze. Most men would have flinched, but Kensei held too many habits from his earlier life and he was not one to back down easily, even from a man as intimidating as Captain Kuchiki. After a few moments of intense scrutiny, Byakuya spoke.  
>"Mugurama, what was your assignment?"<p>

Kensei looked perplexed for a moment. "To deliver a warning to cease and desist to a group of disturbers of the peace."

"Correct. Now, what part of your assignment involved giving me recommendations about whether they threaten the peace or the safety of our fine town?"

Kensei's pride was telling him to snap back, to defend his opinion, but his belligerent nature was another quality which he had learned was best to suppress, especially in the presence of superiors.

"No sir. However, I thought I would report my observations in order to be thorough and to give you the best possible understanding of the situation."

Kensei replied with the correct form and jargon. Diplomacy was one of the most important things he had learned in the force, and it was always very important to phrase things so that later, he could not be blamed for any offense. Byakuya knew this as well and his eyebrows furrowed as he replied, his voice even colder than before.

"While I appreciate the…initiative, Mugurama, I believe I have the situation under control. Please return this week and tell them that if they do not desist within one month, we will use force to evict them, if necessary."

"Why? They're not bothering anyone!"

Kensei's reaction came before he could control it, an occurrence more reminiscent of his pre-academy days than of the present. For some reason he had reacted strongly to Byakuya's emotionless edicts.

"Officer Mugurama, remember your place. You will carry out my orders. Or have you become personally involved with this case?"

If he had thought Byakuya was glaring before, he had been wrong. The police captain's eyes were boring holes into his, pinning him with his position of authority. Both men knew that Kensei was not going to win this encounter, and Byakuya seemed to be reveling in his power, in his own disquieting way.

Personal involvement was one of the only reasons an officer could request to get taken off a case. The idea was that if an officer had involvement which was strong enough to override his sense of justice when carrying out orders, it was best if another officer dealt with the matter. However, the personal involvement had to be very close, like a family member, close friend, or lover being involved. An officer could also be taken off a case if it was discovered that he was personally entangled with the case and did not reveal that fact. Either way, being removed because of personal entanglement had a stigma within the force and consequently happened very rarely. Typically if an officer was personally connected to the case in some way, he would either refuse it at the outset, avoiding a scandal, or do his job despite his emotional connection.

Kensei's posture was respectful, but his gaze was defiant. "No sir."

"Good. Then please deal with the issue. You are dismissed."

With that Byakuya turned away and Kensei ceased to exist within his office. The timid secretary came in to try to prod him out the door, but Kensei was already gone, happy to be away from his superior.

That Friday, Kensei reluctantly suited up in his uniform and headed for the park. This time, he felt the music first, rather than hearing or seeing the group. For a moment, he paused and closed his eyes, allowing himself to forget his job and listen. This feeling was familiar to him from the time before he entered the academy. The beat spoke to him of community and freedom, and he felt the old muted compulsion to cast off his duty and sink into the crowd. Old habits die hard, they say, and this type of music and gathering had been his refuge for a long time. But now, as a seasoned police officer, he approached it differently. Rather than feeling the urge to merge into the crowd and dance and mingle, he instead felt the desire to sink into the ground below their feet and reduce all his sensations to the heartbeat of the group tapped out by the feet of the dancers and the beat of the drums.

He was snapped out of his stupor by a yell that rang up alerting the group to the presence of a police officer. As he approached, he noted that the tattooed redhead and the bald man had been the ones to shout the message, but it was that kid Shuuhei who stood up to greet him.

"Officer Mugurama. To what do we owe this pleasure?" The boy spoke with a level of self-assurance rare in those who were as young as he looked. It was unsettling, and made the task much more difficult. Kensei had no problem dealing with criminals and hoodlums, but Shuuhei did not fit either of the categories, and the guilt of following orders he didn't agree with weighed upon his chest.

"Ah, Shuuhei. May I speak with you for a moment?"

Shuuhei nodded and stepped out of the circle, communicating to the group to keep going with a casual flip of his hand. The redhead gave the rest of the people a whoop, and the circle sprung to life in instants. A little bit away, Shuuhei spoke, annoyance less disguised than the first time.

"I expended to see you again, but hoped that I wouldn't. No offense personally, you understand, but I don't appreciate the police nosing around in our business."

The young man's slightly confrontational tone annoyed Kensei and he slipped into a gruffer manner more befitting his true personality than his position as an officer.

"Listen kid. I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't either. But orders are orders, ok? And this is my job. So if my boss says to come give you a time limit, then no matter how much of a stuck up ice princess he is, then I'm gonna do it. So here's the message. You have one month to shut down this operation, or the police is coming in with force."

Shuuhei calmly, but defiantly, level his gaze.

"No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

"Exactly what I said. No, we will not stop. Thank you for the warning, but like I told you before, it's irrelevant. If that's all, could you please leave us alone?"

Kensei felt like shaking the kid.

"Listen, I don't want to do this, ok? I like gatherings like yours-been to a fair few in my life and I think they're great. But because I know you're all probably mostly good people, I don't want to see the police come tear it down and lock you up. I like you, and I like what you stand for, but it's going to end, and it's better to pack up than to be shut down."

Kensei paused, surprised by the amount of truth he had shared with this stranger, who was looking at him with the arrogant idealism of youth which he had lost years ago.

"Apparently it's been too long since you've actually spent time around places like this. We don't go quietly. We don't hedge. And if the police comes, we protest and raise hell as they throw us in the cells. If you really understood our mindset, you wouldn't be on this case."

It was a challenge, and Kensei replied in kind.

"If I had a choice, I sure as hell wouldn't be. But the only way I could get out is personal involvement, and I don't have that. When I was your age, I wouldn't've even dealt with rules like that. I would've told them to go fuck themselves and dropped the case. But at some point you have to learn to work within certain bounds, and I have responsibility to carry, and promises to keep. Besides, my boss is-"

Shuuhei cut him off.

"Enough excuses. My answer remains the same, and I speak for all of us. And really, who the hell is this terrifying boss of yours?"

Kensei was so shocked at being cut off by the little punk that he answered automatically.

"Byakuya Kuchiki."

Shuuhei started chuckling. Kensei, who by now was rather peeved, took this as condescending and growled out a retort.

"What the fuck is so funny?"

Shuuhei didn't answer for a moment as he got his mirth under control, then turned and yelled to the circle.

"Renji! Rukia! Over here!" He waved over the redhead and the tiny dark-haired dancer before turning back to Kensei, smirking. "You said that people who are personally involved shouldn't be on the case, right? Well, Byakuya Kuchiki's about as personally involved with this group as you can get."


End file.
